Chapter 2 Her Unforgettable First Love

As the horn honked, Emalee's heart skipped a beat, erasing any lingering doubts she held about divorcing Ashton.

She spun around to see a new BMW X7 parked just behind her, and from it emerged a tall, commanding figure.

Her face, once devoid of warmth, lit up with a smile when she recognized the man-Phillip Watson, her unforgettable first love, standing sharply dressed, his hair slicked back, gold-rimmed glasses framing his eyes.

Phillip caught Emalee's gaze and returned a calm smile.

Clutching a bouquet of red roses, he approached her with poised confidence.

Ashton, observing from the sidelines, felt a pang of self-mockery.

Emalee had never looked at him with such affection in all their time together.

Tristan, spotting Phillip, beamed and hurried over.

"Phillip, it's been too long. You're looking better than ever! No wonder Emalee couldn't move on from you!" He laughed heartily.

Phillip acknowledged him with a nod and a smile; then his gaze shifted to Ashton, who stood quietly beside Emalee.

"And who is this?" he inquired softly.

"That's Ashton Baldwin," Tristan answered quickly.

Phillip scrutinized Ashton, his smile fading into a look of scorn. "Ah, Ashton, I see. You seem alright. It's no wonder you managed to live off the James family for two years."

He then strolled over to Ashton, casually draped an arm around Emalee's shoulders, and flashed a triumphant look.

"I ought to thank you, though. Your vigilance over Emalee kept her unclaimed, but your services are no longer required. I'll take good care of Emalee from now on. Once the divorce is finalized, you should make yourself scarce, Mr. Ex-husband," he taunted, patting Ashton patronizingly.

Ashton cast a sidelong glance at Emalee, who appeared unbothered by Phillip's closeness, and he couldn't help but laugh bitterly.

Never in their two years of marriage had Emalee shown him such intimacy.

Emalee, perhaps feeling uneasy, lowered her gaze and gently extracted herself from Phillip's embrace.

"Let's not do this here. There are people watching," she murmured, her tone mild.

Tristan couldn't help but laugh heartily. "Ashton, did you catch that? In all your years together, you never held my sister the way Phillip just did. And yet, you dare ask her to not regret leaving you? What makes you so bold?"

Ashton's expression grew stern. "Only time will reveal the truth," he replied coolly.

Both Tristan and Phillip scoffed at his response.

Tristan taunted, "Are you stuck in the past? The idea that 'a poor young man's potential should not be underestimated' is long outdated. You couldn't dream of matching even a fraction of Phillip's achievements!"

Playing the role of the peacemaker, Phillip chimed in, "Ashton, you've been nothing more than a servant in the James family for the past two years. It's been difficult, sure, but they did shelter you, right? There's no need for hard feelings now that we're settling everything. You're clearly out of your depth, so it's best you part with Emalee gracefully. Today's a significant day with many distinguished guests present-try not to make a scene."

Just as Ashton was about to retort, his phone rang. Distracted, he answered and was greeted by a soft, soothing voice.

"Hello, is this Mr. Ashton Baldwin?"

Without waiting for his reply, the voice's owner continued, "This is Rosalie Campbell, from the Campbell family in Inewood. Your reputation in medicine precedes you. We've been trying to reach you for a while. There's a patient who needs your expertise, and we're prepared to offer a million dollars for your services."

Rosalie was sure Ashton would leap at such a lucrative proposal, but his response was unexpectedly dismissive.

"I'm sorry, but please find someone else," Ashton said tersely, and ended the call.

His mind was too clouded with current events to consider anything else.